Joseph s



- (No Model.)

J. S. RANDALL.

KEY FASTBNBR.

No. 364,296; PatentedJune 7, 1887.

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UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH S. RANDALL, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF TVO- THIRDS TOVILLIAM S. BARNETT AND VILLIAM H. SIGEL, BOTH OF SAME PL A OE.

KEY-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,296, dated June '7,1887.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that l, J osnrrr S. RANDALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and` State of Michigan,have in vented a new and useful Improvementin Key-Fasteners, ot' whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in key-fasteners in which asliding` plate engages with the shank of the key in such a manner as toprevent turning or removing the said key, and also to close thekey-hole.

Heretofore, to prevent such plates from being moved by a suitableinstrument inserted through the keyhole, such plates' have been adaptedto spring away from the surface upon which they are placed, and by sodoing cngage a stop or fastening. This is objectionable, because at allother times the plate is free to move, and after using for a time thepivot upon which the plate turns becomes loosened and the plate may bemoved without necessarily springing it enough to engage the stop; also,it' the flat side of the keyshank chanced to be presented to the slit insaid plate, the shank would not enter the slit until the key was turnedinto proper position.

The objects of my invention are to provide reliable means for securingsaid plate in position so that it cannot be moved by a person upon theoutside of the door, also, to provide a sliding plate that willautomatically turn the key into proper position for securing` the same,as will more fully appear in what follows.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of anescutcheon with my device applied; Fig. 2, a section of the same on theline x, Fig. 1,' Fig. 3, an elevation of the side next the door; Fig.`4, an elevation of the sliding plate and a section of the key; Fig. 5,an elevation showing the position ot' the locking-pin for securing thesliding plate; Fig. 6, an elevation of a rim-lock with my device appliedto the same; Fig. 7, a section of the same on the line i/ y, Fig. 6.

Like letters refer to like parts .in all the figures.

Ais the outer plate of the escutcheon, which is recessed at 'the back toaccommodate the (No model.)

plate a, and has a slot, d, through which passes a pin, C, for movingand locking said plate a. Said slot has at one or both ends a lateral enlargement at its upper side, as shown at e, Fig. 5, with which the shankC of said pin engages to lock the plate a. Said pin has also a ilattenedouter end convenient for grasping with the thumb and lingers, and passesthrough a hole in the plate a, in which it turns freely, and has rigidlyattached to its inner end a cam, c, which slides in a chamber in thebackplate, D, the metal of which is folded, as shown at I), toaffordasuitable bearing-surface for said cam. v V

' The sliding plate a has a key-hole,f, which, when said plate is slidto the left as far as it will go, will correspond with the key-hole inthe eseutcheonplatesA and D, and extending laterally from said key-holeis a slit, g, the upper side of which is in line with the top of thesaid key-hole and the under side of which is in line with the lower sideof the shank ofthe key when the dat side of said shank is in ahorizontal position. The angle formed by the junction of this lower sideand the key-hole is rounded, as shown at h, to more readily turn the keywhen coming in contact with the same. The projection 'i on the cam cserves as astop to prevent turning the locking-pin too far. When thedevice is applied to a rimlock, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the innerplate, D, is

omitted, the cam c acting against the casing ofthe lock.

The operation of my invention is as follows:

The key being in the lock, it has a tendency to turn in the positionshown in Fig. 4. As the plate c is moved to the right the rounded cornerh strikes the lower corner of the keyshank and turns the key so thatsaid shank passes into the slot g as the plate progresses. Then the pinO reaches the end of the slot d, a partial rotation of said pin causesthe cam c to raise the shank of said pin into the lateral enlargement c,and, acting as a wedge, binds it there, at thc same time slightlylifting the plate c, which binds the keyshank in the upper part of thekey-hole by pressing the plate c against its under side.

I am aware that a sliding plate having a slit or notch adapted to engagewith the shank of the key is not new; so, also, that such platevprovided with a device that will temporarily secure the said plate whenpushed or sprung away from the surface upon which it is placed is notnew.v I do not claim these, broadly.

I am aware that prior to my invention a keyfastener consisting in avibratory plate having a key-hole and a communicating slot at rightangles to the enlarged opening in said keyhole was employed, and thatthe shoulder at the intersection of said slots 'was eut away.

VhatI claim and wish to secure is as follows:

' l. In a key-fastener, the combination of an outer plate provided withan opening and eommunicating slot, constituting a key-hole, a laterallymovable plate provided with an opening and two communicating` slots atright angles to each other, the openingiu said movable plate and oneofthe communicating slots therein corresponding to the key-hole in theouter plate aforesaid, and being adapted to y receive a key when saidopening, slot, and keyhole register, the inner shoulder onsaid movableplate at the intersecting point between the two communicating slotsbeing rounded, so as to turn the key when the plate is moved,substantially as specified.

2. In a key-fastener, in combination with a sliding plate adapted tosecure the key within the lock, a plate, A, having the slot d formedtherein, a pin, C, having a shankadapted to pass through said slot andlock said plate, and having attached a cam, c, substantially asdescribed. Y

3. In a key-fastener, in combination with a movable plate adapted tosecure the key within the lock, a plate having aslot formed therein,said slot having lateral enlargements, and a pin passing through saidslot and attached to said plate, said pin having attached a cam having aprojection formed thereon, and adapted to lock said plate, substantiallyas described. JOSEPH S. RANDALL. Vitnesses:

SARAH A. MoULToN, LUTHER V. MoULroN.

